


Out of the Frying Pan

by Orithain



Category: The X-Files
Genre: Episode Related, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-16
Updated: 2016-12-16
Packaged: 2018-09-09 01:21:12
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,169
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8870212
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Orithain/pseuds/Orithain
Summary: What was happening behind the scenes in Pine Bluff Variant.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Co-written with Aries.  
> Originally posted November 1999.

Mulder was in pain and surrounded by Alex's scent... He lay over the table, seeing nothing but bright bursts of light and feeling only the intense throb of his little finger...and smelling the warm, woodsy scent that permeated the leather of his lover's jacket. He'd thrown it on before he left this evening, not only because it was the closest thing, but also because Alex was away, and he just felt better wearing something of his. Now, he was especially glad that he did. It was the only comfort he had. The only thing that gave him relief from the agony inflicted on him and the fear that he might never see the light of day or Alex again. He inhaled deeply, remembering how Alex had last touched him softly...sweetly...if it was possible for emotion to be felt in a touch....he'd definitely felt love...

Alex had wrapped his leather jacket around Mulder's naked body and laid him down on the bed. The feel of the cold leather against the heat of his skin aroused him to the point of pain...something Alex had been quick to take advantage of.

"Why do you look like that, baby?"

"This jacket is freezing."

"No, it isn't. You're just so damn hot..." He reached around and pinched one hard nipple. "You know, I love the way you look in leather. So sexy, so...goddamn fuckable." Mulder moaned, suddenly not caring how cold the leather was. Alex's hands were warm, and so was his mouth when it kissed its way down his body and suddenly engulfed his cock.

Mulder's back arched, and a sharp gasp escaped his throat.

"Jesus!"

Alex smiled and took him as deeply as he could, into his throat. He sucked hard, wanting Mulder to completely lose control. He stroked his lover's balls with one hand, rolling them while he listened to Mulder's cries. Mulder tried to caress Alex as well, but he couldn't concentrate through the haze of pleasure.

Alex grasped his lover's searching hands and held them in a viselike grip. Mulder squirmed above him.

"I want to touch you, Alex. Please, let me touch you."

"Not this time, love. This time I want to please you. I want you to lose all control for me. Will you do that?"

Mulder's head rolled back and forth. "Alex..."

Alex wasn't giving up. Not this time.

" _Will_ you?"

"Yes! Jesus, Alex, yes...please...please!"

"All right then, love, just let yourself go. Feel _me_ , nothing else." Alex took Mulder's cock back into his mouth, deep throating him.

Mulder strained against the hands still shackling his wrists. The pleasure was too much to bear. He was completely at Alex's mercy, and this feeling of helplessness was unnerving to say the least.

_Let it go, Mulder. Trust him. He loves you. Just trust him._

He forced himself to relax into Alex's touch, to trust him not to hurt him. As soon as he did, the pleasure multiplied tenfold, leaving him writhing beneath Alex's skilled touch, whimpering, beyond speech.

Sensing his lover's compliance, Alex loosened his grip on his wrists, happy to be able to use his hands for other purposes. His palms moved in long, firm strokes, up and down Mulder's chest as his mouth worked his swollen cock. He traced his tongue along the length of the vein on the underside, and Mulder arched up involuntarily, trying to get farther inside his mouth. He couldn't imagine anything could feel better than this, and he wouldn't ever want anyone else again.

Krycek swallowed more of Mulder, letting his throat muscles milk his lover's cock. He moved slowly, loving Mulder with his mouth and tongue. His hands stopped on the upstroke, playing gently with the hard brown nipples, teasing them to greater tightness. Mulder's head pressed back into the pillows, and a long moan passed his lips. Alex lightly pinched Mulder's nipples, causing another moan to escape his lover. He moved faster, drawing Mulder in deeper. He stroked the older man's ass with one hand, probing gently between the cheeks.

Mulder whimpered when Alex's finger slid into him. He thrust forward into Alex's mouth, then back onto his finger. The pleasure was growing beyond what he could bear.

"Not yet, love. Hold on and let me please you more," Alex pulled back enough to say.

Mulder gritted his teeth. "But, Alex.."

"Shh. I know you're ready. But I love the feel of your hard cock pumping in and out of my mouth. I love the sound of your moans and whimpers. I don't want to give up on that just yet...please?"

Just to make sure, Alex slowed things down a bit. He gingerly lapped at his lover's twitching cock while ever so slowly thrusting one finger in and out of his ass. Mulder's head dropped to the side, and his heart rate began to slow a bit.

"That's better," Alex crooned. "Nice and easy."

"I'll...try," Mulder gritted out. "But I ...oh God, Alex, it's so hard."

"Just a little longer, love. Soon," Alex soothed.

Mulder only whimpered. He arched into Alex, unable to lie still. Alex stroked his finger over the other man's prostate, drawing a scream from him.

"Alex, dammit! I can't...I ca..can't..."

"Yes, you can, baby. Just a little bit more...just a little..." his finger stroked the magic spot once again.

"God, Alex! I need to come! Please let me come," Mulder wailed as he rocked against the younger man's finger.

"Okay, love, you can come now," and Alex swallowed Mulder to the hilt. After holding off for so long, Mulder came explosively. He screamed, arching into his lover's mouth, again and again. Alex drank the bitter fluid down, then pulled back on Mulder's softening cock. He licked it clean and slid up to kiss the barely conscious man.

Mulder became more alert when he tasted Alex and himself. He spread his legs wide, inviting Alex between them as he pulled his knees back. Alex accepted the invitation, sliding between Mulder's thighs and positioning himself.

"You're not too tired?"

"Too tired for you to do me?" Mulder smiled wearily. "Never." "I love you," Alex whispered as he thrust gently into Mulder's heat. "My gorgeous Fox..."

A tingle passed through Mulder's body at hearing the endearment. He moaned softly and pulled Alex forward for another kiss.

He couldn't believe it when he felt his cock stir. He was exhausted, but it seemed Alex could arouse him even half dead. He didn't have the energy to move, but Alex was taking care of that for both of them. He moaned when he felt the head of Alex's cock hit his prostate.

Alex smiled when he realized Fox was aroused again and lowered himself so his belly rubbed Fox's cock with every stroke.

"That good, baby?" Alex rasped against Mulder's throat. "You ready to come...come again?"

"Yesss," Mulder hissed through gritted teeth. "S-so am..I....come with me, lisa...come on..."

"God yes, together..." Mulder reached for Alex's mouth, claiming him in a deep kiss. The shift in position and the taste of Alex was enough for Fox, and he came again.

Alex realized what would happen the moment Fox moved, and he let himself go, coming at the same instant as his lover.

Two screaming sobs rose from the men, blending into one as the strength drained out of them. Alex collapsed onto Mulder, straining to draw the air back into his lungs. The man beneath him wheezed in a similar effort. Alex tried to move, but Mulder's arms wrapped weakly around him.

"Don't...move...stay, Alex....like this...please."

"I'm not too heavy?"

Mulder drew his hand up and down his lover's back. "No. Please stay."

"Forever, love. I promise I'll never leave you again."

Mulder pulled Alex's head back so he could look into his eyes. "What are you saying?"

"You asked me to stay. I'm telling you I will."

"I only meant for you to stay in this position."

Alex studied him with earnest eyes. "And I meant something else."

Mulder stared then shook his head. "Don't, Alex, don't make promises you can't keep," he said, then looked away.

Alex stroked his cheek, turning Mulder's head back to meet his eyes. "I mean it, Fox. I'm trying to get out of the Consortium. Even if I have to do a little more traveling, I'll be back to you within days. I won't disappear on you again, I swear."

Mulder pulled Alex's head down and tucked it beneath his chin. "Really?" he asked, wanting desperately to believe. " _Really_?"

"Yeah, really. I love you too much to hurt you anymore. It kills me to be away from you. I want us to be together." Alex hesitated, realizing that he might have been presuming too much. He asked the question, almost afraid to hear Mulder's answer. "If you want me here?"

"Jesus Christ, Alex. How can you ask me that?"

"Well," Alex smiled softly, "right now, we're together once in a while, and it's great. It's exciting...it's beautiful....how do you know that you'll be able to stand me around _all_ the time?"

"Alex, I love you. Of course I want you with me!"

"I just need to be sure. Not that long ago you were beating on me every time you saw me. I wasn't sure you were really ready for a...a relationship with me."

"Alex, I've never told anyone else in my entire life that I love them. But I'm telling you. I couldn't stand it if I lost you. I'd go crazy."

Alex kissed him softly. "Then your sanity, such as it is, will stay intact. I'm never going to leave you." He stiffened, staring at Mulder's chest. "But what are we going to tell Scully and Skinner?"

Mulder thought a minute before answering. "Well, Scully is definitely a problem. I spend so much time with her. She's bound to find out. I _never_ see Skinner outside of the office, so I don't see where he'd be much trouble. Of course, depending on Scully's reaction, that could change."

"Fox, I know Scully's important to you. I don't want to come between you." He expelled a heavy sigh. "But I can't give you up either. And although I was there," he admitted, "I did _not_ kill her sister."

"I don't know that that'll help. But, Alex, if she forces me to choose, there's no contest. It would hurt me to lose her, but it would _kill_ me to lose you."

Alex ducked his head further under Mulder's chin, but the older man could feel a faint shuddering, then a warm wetness begin to trickle down his chest.

"Alex? What is it? What did I say?"

Alex shook his head slowly and would not answer.

Mulder slipped a hand under his chin and tried to make him look up.

"Alex? Please?"

Alex's head rose reluctantly. The whites of his eyes had immediately gone bloodshot, in turn giving the green an almost luminescent blue tint. Mulder stroked his face.

"Tell me." "No one has ever really loved me before. I...I've never been anyone's first priority. It's just sort of overwhelming."

Mulder had to kiss him when he heard that, giving him a soft, gentle expression of his love.

"You'll never go another day in your life without knowing and feeling that someone loves you. I'm here for you, Alex. _Nothing_ will ever change that."

Alex closed his eyes and once again burrowed into Mulder's warmth. The tears began to slide again down his face.

"I feel like such an idiot."

"Why?"

"I _never_ cry."

"Doesn't mean you're a sissy, you know."

"I know, I just... it's not me, you know?"

"Apparently it is."

"Only...only recently. You've made me into someone so different than who I used to be."

"You are who you are, Alex. Sometimes it just takes a change in your life to bring out parts of you that are buried, you know? You've brought out another side of me too. I used to be completely focused on my search for the truth, but now..."

"You can't abandon that, Fox; it's too important!"

"Not abandon it, but it's no longer the center of my life. You are. I could never have imagined that a few years ago, or even several months ago, but you're the most important thing in the world to me. I'd do anything, sacrifice anything or anyone to keep you safe."

"Jesus, Fox. I don't...I don't know that I deserve such loyalty."

"Alex, I don't care about who you _were_. I only care about who you are now. You're my love and my life. And I _will_ be loyal to you...to my dying breath."

Alex had to swallow hard before he could force words past the lump in his throat. "It probably doesn't mean much, coming from someone like me, but I _do_ love you with every fiber of my being. I'll always love you, and I'll never leave you or allow anyone to take you away from me. Be very sure, Fox, there's no going back for either of us." He looked away briefly. "Even if I was insane enough to want to let you go, once the Consortium finds out about us, you'll probably lose your protection. You'll need me to stay alive."

Mulder gave him a sly grin. "Oooh, I like the sound of that..."

"Fox...."

Mulder kissed Alex's forehead. "Seriously, I want to need you for everything....does that sound sick?"

"No, not if I get to need you for everything too. It sounds like a partnership to me. We'll take care of each other...support and encourage each other. I've been looking for something like that my whole life."

"Well, you can stop looking." Mulder grinned. "In fact, you'd better. Don't forget, I have a gun too, and I would feel compelled to use it on anyone who tried to take you away from me."

Alex kissed his chest, enjoying the clean, salty flavor of his skin. "Well, I guess you're stuck with me."

"Actually," Mulder gave him a lascivious grin, "I'd rather be stuck _in_ you..."

Alex laughed. "You are _so_ unbelievably bad."

"Everything I know, I learned from _you_ , you slut." Mulder licked the length of Alex's throat, drawing a moan from the younger man. "Now, I think it's my turn..."

"Already, Fox? Pretty impressive stamina for an old guy." "Oh, you're going to have to pay _big_ for that..."

In a rather impressive move, Mulder spun him onto his back and sprawled over him. Alex laughed uncontrollably as Mulder pinned him motionless beneath him and started to....

"Fox! No!" Alex's laughs turned to hysterical screeches as Mulder tickled him. Mulder started to laugh, as well. He couldn't help it; Alex's laughter was contagious.

"You never mentioned you were ticklish, babe."

"Would...hee hee...would _you_?....oh, God, please stop!...hee hee...I _knew_...stop, stop...you'd take advantage!"

"Me?" Mulder asked innocently. "I would never dream of taking advantage of you...at least not with regard to _tickling_."

"So, how _would_ you take advantage of me?"

"How would you _like_ me take advantage of you? Like this?" he asked, moving down to lick Alex's cock. "Or maybe like this?" he cooed, sliding a finger inside his lover's ass. "Or this?" He twisted around so his own cock was at Alex's lips. "What would you like?"

" _Christ_.....all of the above." The last word was muffled as Alex sucked his lover's cock into his mouth. His head began to move in time with Mulder's, each man driving the other insane at the same slow pace.

They licked and sucked each other, each more concerned with the other's pleasure than his own. They mirrored one another's movements. When Alex pulled back to lap at the crown, Mulder did the same. When Mulder nibbled his way down Alex's shaft, the younger man followed suit. They both started to moan with the pleasure, the vibrations making them feel even better, setting up a chain reaction. Alex moved up to the head and opened his mouth. Mulder did the same, then each man sank down, swallowing the other's cock right to the base. Alex spread his lover's ass cheeks and slid a finger inside. Mulder groaned and mimicked the action.

Alex established a slow rhythm, not enough to make either of them come. He wanted this to be long and slow and loving, and Fox had no objection. But soon, very soon, it wasn't enough. They sped up, pushing two fingers into each other and swallowing constantly to milk each other's cocks.

Alex was the first to feel it start, and he cried Fox's name. Just the sound of his name set Mulder off. He thrust forward into Alex's mouth then back against his fingers, again and again. The younger man joined his frantic movements, and both came with a force that pulled them inside out. When it was done, they lay in the same position, lazily cleaning each other with their tongues. "Do you think we'll ever make it out of this bed?" Alex asked, not sounding particularly concerned. "Well, sooner or later, I'll have to go to work, or Scully'll come looking for me. I don't think this is really how we want to tell her about us, do you?"

"Uh....no. That would be bad... very, very bad." Alex moved back up to snuggle against Mulder's chest. "Now....if you think you can finally leave me alone, we really should get some sleep."

"Okay, okay..." Mulder's hand swept the length of Alex's naked back. He kissed the top of his head and whispered into it, "I love you, Alexei." "I love you too, Fox. I'm looking forward to waking up next to you for the rest of our lives." Alex smiled and snuggled into his lover. "Me too, baby," he mumbled sleepily.

Minutes later, they were asleep...

The memory faded and the pain returned in all its throbbing misery. Mulder was released from his bonds none-too-gently and dropped back off at the motel from where he was taken. He walked into the room and sat on the bed, burying his face in his hands. God, his finger throbbed. But as bad as that pain was, he felt all the worse for remembering how happy and safe he'd felt with Alex the night before his lover had left. Now he was cold, alone and hurting, and he wanted Alex so badly. He couldn't even talk to Scully.

Finally, he gathered his things and headed back to his apartment, where he found his partner, who, after some convincing, informed him that she was now in on what was going on. While she took care of his finger, they discussed the case.

Unfortunately, they weren't exactly alone. August Brimmer sat in a car outside of Mulder's apartment, recording every word that was said.

When Scully was gone, Mulder stripped off his clothes and climbed into a warm shower. He let the water pound into his muscles, loosening and soothing, and he remembered the morning before Alex left, when they'd showered together. Damn, he hoped that Alex would get home soon. He missed him so much.

Then again, maybe showing up with his finger splinted for Alex to see wasn't the greatest idea. It could be considered a new form of population control.

He sighed and climbed out of the shower to go to his empty bed, glaring at it balefully. He climbed between the sheets, taking care not to bump his finger against anything. He laid his arm out alongside his body and stared up at the ceiling. Hopefully, those painkillers that Scully had given him would take effect soon. Unfortunately, as wound up as he was, the pills would probably do nothing at all to relax him. At this point, he thought it might be the only way that he could get to sleep. Between this case, his finger, and most importantly, the lack of his lover beside him, he knew there was no way in hell he was going to be able to close his eyes. And he had to. Even if just for a little while. Haley would be contacting him again tomorrow, and he had to be alert. It could mean the difference between walking out of this situation or being carried out.

Apparently, the pills _had_ made him drowsy because the next thing he knew, it was two o'clock and he had to get back to work. On his way to meet Skinner and the US Attorney, he wondered how exactly he'd gotten himself into this mess and, more importantly, how he was going to explain it to Alex. His lover had a temper, and he got really irritated by what he called Mulder's total lack of regard for his own safety.

Mulder sighed. He'd never thought he'd say this, but it was probably a good thing Alex wasn't around at the moment. Now, he had to stop thinking about him and concentrate on the job. He might be able to wrap this up soon and get back to something important, like trying to track down his wayward lover.

A few hours later, he was back at the motel in Delaware. He walked into the room, and he was met by Haley and the ugly son of a bitch who broke his finger. Again, he was driven to their hideout where he met August Brimmer and discussed their mutual _agendas_. Just his luck, they were planning their biggest job and had decided to take him with them.

All disguised by masks, the group entered a Pennsylvania bank and put their plan into action. As they entered the vault and began to spray the money with the toxin, one of the bank workers attempted to summon help. He was shot once, and Mulder was ordered to finish him. Fortunately, Brimmer stepped in and shot the man himself, explaining that Mulder's gun was traceable.

When the job was done, they fled the scene and returned to the hideout. Mulder's head was spinning. He'd come so close to having to kill that man.

_Would you have done it?_

_It was that or blow the case **and** your cover. If that had happened, you might as well have just kissed your ass goodbye._

_But..._

_Never mind. Don't think about it. You didn't have to do it. Just forget it and concentrate on how you're going to get yourself out of this._

The sight of Brimmer emptying the bags of money that they'd taken into a burning barrel jostled him out of his thoughts. It was then that he realized that the _heist_ was just a decoy for what they were really doing. When he called Brimmer on it, Brimmer was going to shoot him, but Haley stepped in and stopped him. Brimmed whipped out the tape recording of Mulder and Scully's conversation, and Mulder's life began to flash before his eyes. Whatever little protection he had had was now gone.

Brimmer made both men kneel in the dirt while he decided what to do. At length, he gave Haley a set of car keys and sent him away.

Mulder wasn't going to get away so easily. Brimmer urged him to his feet, and they, as well as the man who had come to be known so affectionately to Mulder as 'the gimp', walked well out of sight of the other members of the New Spartans, and Brimmer made him kneel again.

As he knelt there in the dirt with his hands behind his back, his mind wandered to Alex. In his mind's eye he could see his lover coming though the door of the apartment they now shared. He might not worry at first, but when hour upon hour went by and he did not show, Alex _would_ begin to wonder where the hell he was.

Strangely enough, that bothered him the most. Not dying, although he'd sure as hell much rather live, but the thought of Alex's fear and then sorrow...that was what he hated this bastard for. He stared straight ahead, not seeing the empty field, but Alex's beautiful green eyes smiling at him. He pictured the little smile that played on his lover's lips when he was teasing him and the beauty of his body. He thought about how good he tasted and how much they enjoyed driving each other to the brink of madness.

He'd never have that again. But at least he wouldn't be alive to suffer through it.

_Alex, baby, I love you so much, and I'm **so** sorry..._

He was so engrossed in his thoughts of Alex that it almost scared him to death when a gunshot rang out and his would-be murderer was the one to die. It took him a moment to get his bearings again and to realize he wasn't going to die. Brimmer knelt beside him, checking to make sure that the other man was indeed dead, then informed him that there was a car waiting for him over the rise. He fled gratefully. As soon as this was finished, he was going home, and he was going to find Alex, and they weren't going to get out of bed for a week. That was if Alex didn't kill him...

Fleeing the scene, he drove directly back to the bank where he found Scully and Skinner. By some miracle, they'd arrived before any of the money could be touched and were in the process of securing the area. After confronting the US Attorney about his part in what they'd discovered to be yet another government smoke and mirrors job, Skinner recommended that Mulder go home.

"Agent Mulder, get out of here," he said, noting his agent's bloodshot eyes and the slump of his shoulders. He turned to Scully. "See that he gets home, and I don't want to see him until Monday."

"But sir, what about..."

"Agent Mulder, your part is over. There's nothing more to be done. You need a break. God knows you deserve one. You can catch up on your paperwork on Monday. Now get the hell out of here."

A little later Mulder dragged himself through his front door, having convinced Scully that what he really needed was sleep. She'd dropped him off and gone home, leaving him to get some rest. Mulder leaned back against the closed door with a groan.

"Fox?"

His eyes flew open at the sound of Alex's voice, and he focused on the slightly worried looking man standing in the hallway.

"Alex! You're home!" He reached for his lover, only to freeze when Alex's narrowed gaze homed in on the splint on his finger.

"What the fuck happened to you?" Alex demanded.

"It's nothing, baby. Just a case. It's all over now."

"That splint is _not_ nothing. Tell me!"

"My little finger is broken. No biggie."

"Yeah, I can see that. How'd it happen?"

"On the _case_."

Alex's hands clenched at his sides. "Fox, if you don't stop jerking me around and tell me what the hell happened to you, so help me, I'm going to..."

Mulder held up his good hand. "Okay, okay, calm down."

"I'll calm down when I have reason to calm down."

Mulder closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Come on, let's sit down and I'll tell you all about it. But you have to promise me to stay _calm_.

"Stop telling me stay calm! Every time you do, I know there's reason to be upset. Now. What. The. Fuck. Happened. To. You?"

Alex sounded more pissed by the moment, and Mulder realized that he'd better tell him before he starting imagining something a lot worse than the reality. Unfortunately, he'd barely started describing what happened when Alex blew. He heard something about "reckless, suicidal jackass" and "self-sacrificing moron", but most of it was in Russian.

Mulder reached over to lay a hand on Alex's arm, hoping to calm him down, but unfortunately for him, he used his left hand to do so, and that just reminded Alex of his injury. That brought the wrath of Alex back down on his head.

"What _I_ want to know," Alex snarled, picking right up where he'd left off, "is what the hell was going through Skinner's mind when he agreed to this shit!"

"Alex, I'm a federal agent. Putting my life on the line is part of the job. You _know_ that. These people came to _me_ , I didn't go to them. It was a perfect opportunity to bust them. How could Skinner say no?"

"Easy! Mulder, no. See how easy that was? Want me to say it again?"

Mulder closed his eyes and bowed his head. This was not going well. For a man who'd done all the things Alex had, he was incredibly protective, overprotective actually, of Mulder. While it was kind of sweet, Mulder had no intention of letting him stop him from doing his job.

"Alex, what would you say if I told you that I didn't think you could take care of yourself?"

Alex opened his mouth to respond hotly, then paused to think about it. "It's not the same, Fox. _I_ don't throw myself headlong into danger without the slightest thought for my own safety. You do. You scare the hell out of me, baby. I don't want to lose you."

"I understand that, Alex, and I love you for being so concerned, but...this was carefully planned..."

"Oh, it was carefully _planned_ for you to get your finger broken? And for the last fucking time, how did it happen?"

"I started to tell you, but you went and flew into a rage before I could finish!"

Alex took a deep breath and slowly released it. "Okay. How did it happen?" Mulder shook his head. "I don't think I should tell you. If you went this nuts over the little bit I told you, I really don't..."

"Mulder!"

 _Mulder_. Okay, he was really upset...

"Okay, okay, it was this way..." And Mulder managed to make it all the way through his description of events this time, although Alex was pacing the room like an angry cat before he was half done.

"Fuck, Mulder, you could have been killed! You don't have to offer yourself up to every half-assed wannabe sadist on the damned planet you know!" Alex suddenly realized that he could have lost Fox and not even have known for days, and he started to shake. He collapsed into Fox's side, unable to stop the tremors that had begun to wrack his body.

Mulder hugged him close, whispering apologies, warming him with his own body heat. "It's okay, baby," he murmured, kissing Alex's cheek. "I'm here, and we're together."

Alex clung to him, inhaling his scent and listening to the steady thud of his heart.

Yes, he was here. They were together. It turned out okay. But, God...

"Things could have gone really bad really fast, Fox." His fingers tightened in his lover's shirt. "You could have died today. You could have died _yesterday_. I don't...I...I can't even imagine what I would have done..."

Fox stroked Alex's back. "You don't have to think about that. I _didn't_ die. I'm sitting right here with you, and you don't have to think about any of it."

"Please promise me you'll be careful," Alex pleaded.

"You don't have to worry about that. I don't ever want to feel another gun held to the back of my head," Mulder muttered.

" **WHAT**?!?!" Alex screeched, sitting bolt upright so fast he knocked Mulder onto the floor.

_Oh shit, I didn't mean to tell him about **that**. Fucking idiot._

He rose and pushed himself back up onto the sofa. "I just meant that it was no fun being in the middle of a bunch of trigger-happy terrorists," he tried, but Alex wasn't buying it.

"You said you had a gun held to the back of your head!"

Mulder sighed again, realizing he was going to have to tell the truth.

"They made me, and Brimmer took me out, knelt me down in the dirt and was going to execute me. But he killed the goon who was going to do the shooting. I don't understand. I don't know who he is, but he's obviously on our side. He had a car waiting for me. I drove straight to the bank. It had already been secured, so I came home."

Alex was hyperventilating. "I can't believe this... I can't fucking..."

"Alex...baby, breathe. Come on, didn't you hear me? He never intended to kill me."

"They...they found _you_ out, Fox, what...what if they'd made _him_ too?"

"But it didn't happen. Come on, don't do this. I'm _fine_."

"You're fine, huh? Some asshole breaks your finger, you get caught up in a potentially explosive situation, you have a gun held to the back of your head and right up until the last minute, you think you're actually going to die! And you're all right??"

"Alex, I'm here, I'm alive and relatively unharmed. Hell, I get hurt worse than this playing basketball. I've done worse to myself. Fuck, I've hurt you a lot worse," he finished unhappily.

"Don't, Fox. Things were different then. That's all over and in the past."

"And so is this case and everything that happened. I'm home now, and so are you. Why are we wasting our time arguing about my job?"

Alex glared back, still upset, so Mulder kept talking.

"You know, I was wearing your jacket. I could smell you, and that son of a bitch broke my finger, and I was in so much pain, it was the only comfort I had. It felt... good." He met Alex's eyes pleadingly. "Please, just... hold me?"

Alex pulled his lover into his arms, shaking with rage. "I wish I'd been here. It never would have got this far. They'd _all_ be dead."

"You can't watch my back twenty-four hours a day any more than I can watch yours. And you can't interfere with my cases."

"But Fox..."

"Please, Alex. I'm tired." Mulder snuggled into the warmth of his lover's embrace. "God, this feels good. I missed you so much. I was so..." He bit his lower lip and went silent.

"You were so what?"

"Nothing."

"Fox..."

_Nice going, Mulder. He's not going to let it go now._

"I was afraid I'd never see you again. I was...I was afraid of what it would do to you if I never came back."

"It'd kill me," Alex answered simply. "But not before Skinner and anybody else connected with it went first."

"Alex! Jesus! Promise me you won't do anything stupid if anything does happen to me. You have no reason to take it out on Skinner."

Alex remained stubbornly silent. If Skinner let anything happen to his Fox, he'd make sure that he suffered a long time before he died. And then he'd join Fox because without him, he wouldn't be living anyway.

"Alex, please. Baby, I love you too, and it's killing me to think that you would just give up. I need to know that you would go on and be happy."

Alex just looked at him like he was nuts. "How could I be without you? I couldn't, Fox. But I'll promise you this much, I'll take the Consortium down before I go."

Mulder frowned. What had Alex's life been like that revenge was the only reason he could imagine for living? He was going to have to teach him how to enjoy life, it seemed. And that seemed to mean staying alive to be with him, so he was going to have to be a little more careful. A faint snicker escaped him, and Alex looked at him curiously.

Mulder grinned. "Just thinking, Scully might learn to love you if I start thinking first because of you."

Even Alex had to laugh.

"Ah ha!"

Alex tried to wipe the grin from his face. "Ah ha nothing. I'm still upset with you." He gathered Mulder to his chest and kissed the top of his head. "But I love you, you damn idiot." He pulled away for a moment, lifting Mulder's head until their eyes met. "I love you," he repeated with nothing but tenderness in his voice.

Slowly, he moved in brushing his lips against Fox's, coaxing the older man's mouth open. His tongue inched out, pressing into the moist cavern and gently stroked its mate.

Fox moaned softly and wound his arms around his lover's neck. His own tongue slid out to tangle with Alex's, tasting and teasing, driving the younger man to a greater level of arousal.

Alex flipped them over so he was lying on top of his lover and ground their pelvises together. He delighted in Fox's hoarse gasp and rewarded him with a full body squirm. He started unbuttoning Mulder's shirt, slowly parting it and nibbling and sucking on each inch of flesh as it became exposed.

Fox moaned Alex's name and clutched his head to him, trying to direct him to his hardened nipples, but Alex had his own plan of attack. He bit Fox's throat, then sucked, remaining there until a mark of his ownership was clearly visible on the bared skin. He wanted there to be no mistake that Fox was his.

Mulder whimpered in pleasure, loving the feeling of Alex's mouth on him, and he groaned when Alex stroked teasingly over his nipples with a featherlight touch. He spread his legs lasciviously, trying to tempt his lover to take him.

Alex pulled the shirt from Mulder's jeans, yanked it off and tossed it in the general direction of the desk. His hand traveled down to the top button of the worn Levis, quickly undoing it, then he pulled the zipper down.

Fox squirmed beneath Alex, begging him to move faster. He felt the jeans being pulled down, and he lifted his hips to assist the younger man in removing them.

Once Alex got the pants down to his shins, he untied Mulder's boots and pulled them and his socks off. He finished removing the jeans and fell back on top of his lover, covering his shivering body.

"Are you cold?"

"A little."

"But you're shaking so much all of a sudden."

"I know, I...probably shock. Guess I really...really haven't had time to settle and react till...now..."

Alex shifted on top of him, trying to warm him with some light friction. And a little distraction would be nice too.

Fox gasped at the sensation, loving the feel of his lover's fully clothed body against his own nudity. He felt the rasp of the denim against his cock and the soft cotton of the t-shirt on his chest and the heat of Alex's body through it all. He pulled the younger man's head down to kiss him deeply, the shivers slowly subsiding as passion subdued shock. His body still quivered, but for far more pleasant reasons now. He wrapped his legs around Alex's waist, pulling him in tightly, and he thrust against the trapped cock, enticing it to come out and play.

Alex growled softly and writhed against him. "Do you want me now?"

Fox nodded, swallowing past the lump that had formed in his throat. "Now. Please. I need you so much, Alex."

"All right, baby," Alex murmured. "Come on." He lifted himself, pulling Fox up with him.

"Where to?" Fox asked, burrowing into his lover's warmth.

"I'm taking you to bed now, because after I'm through with you, you're gonna be too weak to move."

He wrapped his arms around Fox, and they walked to the bedroom. The minute they arrived, he turned back the blankets and coaxed Fox under them. He covered the older man up to his neck, keeping him warm while he removed his own clothing. When everything lay in a heap on the floor, he climbed under the blankets and pulled Fox against him.

The older man went willingly, anxious to feel his lover's body against his own for the first time in over a week.

"God, I missed you, baby." He nuzzled into Alex's throat. "Did you do everything you needed to? Will you be able to stay now?"

Alex barely held back a moan of pleasure at feeling the weight of Fox's body against him. "Yeah, we're all set. You're stuck with me now."

"Then why don't you stick it to me?" Fox batted his lashes at Alex, who burst into laughter.

"Your sense of humor is _awful_ , Fox!"

"Good thing you love me for my body then, isn't it?"

Alex snickered. "You seem to have a theme going, lisa."

Mulder growled at him. "Did you know that many foxes are feral? It would behoove you to keep me happy."

"Oh, it would 'behoove' me, would it?" Alex grinned at him. "You are _such_ a slut, baby."

"Quit bragging and fuck me!"

"Damn, you're so impatient."

"We haven't touched each other in a week. I almost got my ass killed today. Yeah, I'm impatient. You wanna make something out of it?"

Alex's hand slid down to Fox's ass and squeezed none-too-gently. "The only thing I want to make is you scream."

Fox hooked a leg over the younger man's hip. "Do it."

Alex took his mouth in a fierce kiss and thrust forward, pressing their cocks together.

Fox bucked against him, groaning.

_God, thank you._

He broke the kiss and panted into Alex's mouth, "Fuck me, baby. Please, I can't wait."

Alex wanted to make him wait; he loved watching Fox when he was desperate and needy, but it _had_ been too long. He couldn't wait either. He licked at Fox's lips while he clawed at the bedside table for the lube.

"Give me your hand, Fox."

Without thinking. Mulder did as he was told, and Alex squeezed out some lube onto his fingers. Grinning into Fox's surprised face, he sat up and settled himself on his knees between Fox's widespread legs.

"Get yourself ready for me, baby."

Fox whimpered at the command rasped out in the husky, velvet voice. He slowly worked his fingers into his own ass, watching Alex watch him, and the heat in the green gaze made his temperature rise. He drew it out to tease Alex, wanting to drive him beyond control.

Finally, Alex pounced.

"All right, enough's enough. If you're not ready now, you never will be." He positioned himself between Fox's legs, urging the other man to wrap his legs around his waist, and Alex drove home, pulling a loud groan from them both. He paused for a moment, giving Fox time to adjust, then pulled back and surged forward.

Fox threw his head back into the pillows, sobbing Alex's name and digging his fingers into the younger man's ass. "Hard...harder, Alex. I want to feel you. Please, make me feel you..."

"Yes," Alex moaned, thrusting harder, trying to go even deeper. He wanted to get so far inside Fox that they would never separate. He clutched desperately at Fox, pulling him tighter then pulling back so he could push in again, over and over.

Fox whined his name desperately, his head tossing on the pillow, and he arched up to take Alex deeper.

Alex drove into him over and over, both wanting to get closer, needing each other desperately. He grabbed Fox's legs and drew them over his shoulders so he could go deeper still, and Fox screamed his name.

Alex bent forward and bit Fox's chest hard, his teeth sinking into the firm muscle and the coppery taste of blood filling his mouth. Fox yelled again, but his body arched, trying to drive Alex's bite deeper, so Alex knew he liked it. He drew his head back and licked at the blood welling from the bite in satisfaction.

"Mine," he rasped. "I like seeing my mark on you."

Fox whimpered and shuddered. He was unbelievably aroused, on the brink of coming, but he wanted to wait for Alex.

"Please, baby," he whined. "Come for me...come with me. I need to feel you."

Alex growled, lapping once more at the rapidly congealing blood then drew himself up on his forearms and began to slam into Fox with short, brutal strokes. One hand wrapped around the older man's cock and flew over the straining muscle, jerking it mercilessly.

Mulder's head pressed back into the pillows, and a long, sobbing groan tore from his throat. His muscles began to tighten in uncontrollable spasms, and he felt the fire begin in the pit of his stomach and spread in all directions.

"God," he choked. "Je...Jesus... _Alex_..."

" _Now_ , Fox," Alex commanded as he felt his own orgasm well up and spill over. He teeth clamped together, and a harsh groan pushed past them as he pumped hot semen into his lover.

Fox felt the heated rush of fluid pour into him, and he exploded, screaming Alex's name and shooting hot and hard over the younger man's fist and his own chest.

Alex collapsed on top of him, panting, then straightened up long enough to lower Fox's legs to the bed before dropping down on him again. Mulder grunted at the impact.

"Hey, I'm not a pillow, you know," he complained, but he was careful to keep his arms wrapped around Alex so he couldn't move away.

"Yes, you are. You're what I most like snuggling up to," Alex laughed.

"I am _not_ your teddy bear!"

"No, you're my lover," Alex said, suddenly serious. "I can't believe we're really going to have a life together now, that you want me to stay."

"Just see what happens if you try to get away."

"Ohhh, masterful. I like it," Alex giggled.

Fox mock-glared at him. "I think you'd look very nice in my collar, baby." He was surprised to feel a shiver of arousal run through Alex at his words.

"You like that idea?"

Alex writhed against him. "I don't hate it."

"Kinky prick."

"And your point would be what?"

"I don't know." Mulder shifted and winced.

"Am I too heavy?"

"No." He tightened his hold on Alex to insure that he remained put. "It's just that your little present here is starting to throb a bit."

"Oh." Alex smiled meekly. "I guess I got a bit carried away. I'm sorry."

"I wasn't looking for an apology," Mulder informed him then looked down at the small wound. "Just know that what's good for the goose..."

Alex gave him a wide grin. "Promise?"

Mulder nodded. "You can bet the ranch on it. If you insist on putting your... _brand_ on me, expect me to reciprocate."

Alex smiled slowly. "I'm going to hold you to that, baby."

Mulder's eyes widened as he wondered what Alex had in mind. Whatever it was, they were both sure to enjoy it. He grinned at the man in his arms. One thing was certain; life together would never be boring.

"Fox?"

"Hmm?"

"I got one more question."

"About?"

"This case."

Mulder groaned. There was no way in hell Alex was going to let go of this any time soon.

"Where the hell was your partner?"

"It was a deep cover assignment. She didn't know about it till later."

"She's your partner. It was her business to know."

"They didn't _want_ her to know. They kept it from her."

"Wouldn't have stopped _me_."

"I'm sure. Scully isn't as sneaky as you are, Alex."

"Yeah, well, her overabundance of ethics and lack of intuition are going to get you killed one day. You don't need her as a partner."

"Oh, no? Who _do_ I need?"

Alex grinned up at him. "Somebody with a little more on the ball."

"You're not in the Bureau anymore, Alex, remember?"

"A mere detail. Think of me as a _silent_ partner. Scully can go on being.... _Scully_...and I'll watch your tail." He tucked a hand under Mulder's ass, giving it an affectionate squeeze. "After all, I've got a personal interest in it."

Mulder studied the twinkling green eyes. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Hmm hmm."

The older man groaned plaintively. "Why is it that I feel like I've just jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire?"

Alex gave him an innocent smile. "I haven't the slightest idea," he purred, snuggling against Mulder's chest. "You should be happy. This'll save on a lot of arguments. It'll be great, you'll see."

"Oh yeah," Mulder mumbled. "Really great. I can feel the flames already."

"Aww. Are you hot, baby?" Alex nipped at the underside of Mulder's chin then moved up to his ear, teasing the interior with the tip of his tongue. "I can cool you off."

Mulder felt the familiar stirring in the pit of his stomach. "Oh, yeah?"

Alex's low chuckle vibrated in his lover's ear. "Yeah. Of course, it does involve a little sweating first..."


End file.
